In the Princess's Grip

The Other Twilight

Sombra stepped out of the grand meeting room, the heavy wooden door creaking shut behind him. He sighed deeply, the weight of the recent conversation still lingering in his chest. The cool corridor of the palace offered some relief from the tension that had filled the room, but the exhaustion clung to him like a shadow.

"Same old Celestia..." he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

As he was about to make his way down the hall, the door behind him cracked open slightly, and a soft voice called out.

"¡Sombra!" she whispered.

He stopped, turning to see Luna peeking through the barely-opened door. Her eyes twinkled with something more than just the usual formality. She was smiling.

"Is everything alright?" Sombra asked, raising an eyebrow, his voice carrying just a hint of surprise.

Luna stepped out a little further, her smile widening. “I’m happy you’re back,” she said warmly, her words simple but genuine.

Sombra felt a strange warmth in his chest, and he nodded. "Thanks," he replied softly, the weight of the palace’s cold corridors seeming to lift for just a moment. Their relationship with Luna had always been gentler, and it was easier to talk to her than to Celestia.

But then Luna’s smile took on a more mischievous edge. She tilted her head, her eyes glinting. "I can’t help but notice you didn’t share everything in your story." She leaned closer, her voice turning into a playful whisper. “I’ll find out the rest in your dreams. Especially if you had... any secret romances.” She winked, her tone teasing.

Sombra’s face flushed a deep crimson. He shot her a startled look, his expression a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.

"Don’t you dare, Luna. You know I hate it when you invade my dreams," he whispered sharply, trying to keep his composure.

Luna let out a soft, melodic laugh, clearly enjoying his reaction. "Haha, I know!" she said.

Before Sombra could retort, Celestia’s voice boomed from inside the room. “Luna! Get back in here!”

Luna rolled her eyes, glancing briefly over her shoulder before turning back to Sombra. She lowered her voice once more. “We’ll talk later... somewhere more private.”

Sombra couldn’t help but chuckle at her playfulness. He raised an eyebrow, his grin returning. “Are you trying to get me killed? If your sister catches us, I’m done for.”

"Why? It's just a little talk? Luna asked and laughed lightly, then winked at him one last time before slipping back into the meeting room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Sombra stood alone in the quiet hallway, shaking his head with a faint smile. Despite the madness that had unfolded in the last hour, there was a strange comfort in knowing that not everything had changed—and that maybe, just maybe, not everything had to.

Writing the report was difficult—very difficult, especially for him, as he tried to forget everything. But there he was, dipping the quill into ink and transcribing everything onto a scroll. What was he supposed to write?

“This is harder than I thought…” he murmured to himself. He knew he couldn’t leave Celestia’s palace without submitting this report. Why did he feel like a student being punished by his teacher? He was far too old for this.

As he wrote, each letter reminded him of Sparkle: the nights on that old armchair, the days talking while he kept eating brownies, not bricks. They would chat about the differences between their worlds or about meaningless nonsense. And that argument… now it seemed a bit ridiculous. He shouldn’t have been so upset, though it did hurt that she had lied to him. But it would be hypocritical to deny it.

He wrote everything he could. He couldn’t help it. He left the report in a small study nearby and decided to stay there that night before returning to the Crystal Empire, knowing the work that awaited him when he got back.

Morning had arrived, and it was a relief. If there was one thing in common between Twilight and Celestia, it was the terrible quality of their sleeping arrangements. The back pain he felt was proof enough of that. He was already preparing to leave, with many things to attend to upon his return. The hallway was long and quiet, but something soon unsettled him.

He didn't see her coming, didn't even notice her approach. With stealthy steps—only predators move like that, right?

“Sombra! There you are!” Her voice was unnervingly sweet, her smile wide and almost manic. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Sombra looked confused; in fact, it was hard to look at her. She reminded him so much of her. They were almost identical—the hair, the voice, nearly everything—except for the eyes. Twilight's eyes, as he remembered them, were more beautiful to him. And there were other differences, of course— the wings and the blank flank that this pony always tried to hide with a cloak, though it didn't bother him; he wasn’t different.

Sombra couldn’t help but feel a bit of pity for the pony. She wasn’t exactly what you'd call "Celestia’s student." Oh, Celestia used the title, but treated her more like a secretary than anything else. Despite not having a cutie mark, Twilight’s intellect stood out, always dabbling in experiments—most of them failures. And yet, many viewed her as a symbol of determination, clawing her way up without a cutie mark, even managing to impress the princesses. Hmph, perhaps there is some truth to the idea that hard work can get you anywhere.

“I’ve been somewhat absent lately,” he sighed, his voice heavy with resignation. “I had no idea that my absence would create such a stir. To be honest, I didn’t expect it to cause this much of a commotion.”

Twilight's smile faltered briefly, replaced by an intense, almost feverish gaze.

“Didn’t cause a stir? You’re more than important, Sombra. You’re essential. Without you, I’m lost, incomplete. I can’t function without you by my side,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, edged with desperation. Her calm exterior cracked. “You can’t leave me again, ever. I need you, always.”

“What?” he asked, incredulous and somewhat uneasy. Had he heard that incorrectly? Yes, it must be that. Were so many centuries finally catching up with him?

“Ah! T-The Empire! That’s what I meant! The Empire! It can’t function without you. Yes, I was just thinking about the well-being of the Empire. Nothing more…” Her words stumbled over themselves, her thoughts racing frenetically.

Twilight Sparkle fought to steady her ragged breathing, her eyes revealing the depth of her obsession. Her tone shifted, tinged with a subtle possessiveness, as she tried to redirect the conversation to a subject that truly mattered to her.

“Sombra, where have you been all this time? I’ve been anxiously waiting, wondering when you’d return.” She moved closer, her eyes narrowing as she observed every little detail of his appearance.

Sombra continued to feel an unsettling sensation creeping through his body, as if an unseen wolf were stalking him in the shadows. Despite the growing unease, he chose to ignore it. Why? Because, quite simply, he was a fool.

“Well, you must have seen the report… that Celestia made me write…” He sighed, knowing her student handled all the paperwork the alicorn didn’t want to do. He felt sorry for her in that regard but couldn’t remember when they became so close as to have conversations like this.

Twilight Sparkle’s expression grew darker, her face clouded with a deepening sense of frustration and intensity.

“Yes, I saw the report… but words, cold facts on paper don’t convey everything, do they?” She took a step closer, her body almost inches from his. “I wanted to hear it from you, directly from you. How did you spend your time away from me… I mean, from the Crystal Empire? Or rather, from Equestria.” Her tone wavered between concern and demand. She had been the only one to search tirelessly under every stone after his disappearance that night, but of course, she would never admit it. “And what was that about the ‘Other Twilight’?”

Sombra tensed, realizing Twilight Sparkle had noticed the mention of the “Other Twilight” in his report. He knew he shouldn’t have included Sparkle in the report, but as he wrote, his mind was entirely focused on her. He wondered why she was asking this; but, well, after all, he had also been curious about his evil counterpart in the other world when he disappeared.

“Ah, yes… that.” He chose his words carefully. “It was a brief encounter, nothing to worry about, I assure you.” The discomfort persisted; he found it very unpleasant talking to her, especially when she looked at him as if she wanted to trap him with her gaze.

Silence settled, thick with palpable unease. Typically, in a conversation, one expects a response, right? But Twilight said nothing; she didn’t even seem to be listening. This lack of response only intensified Sombra’s discomfort, amplifying his unease.

“I need to go, Twilight. I have a great deal of work awaiting me,” Sombra said, carefully maneuvering around her before swiftly making his way down the hallway, distancing himself from her presence.

Twilight stood there, motionless, her gaze cast downward. Anyone who passed by could see her lips moving in a continuous, fervent whisper.

“There can only be one Twilight. Only me… only me,” she repeated over and over.

to be continued